Electric marking machines



July 12, 1955 c. M. ELSTAD 2,713,109

ELECTRIC MARKING MACHINES Filed March 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR;

July 12, .1955 c. M. ELSTAD 2,713,109

ELECTRIC MARKING MACHINES Filed March 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22,546 9 3&7

63 {a 3 jfi 36 IGD War/7g Mar nitecl rates Patent" Ofiice 2,713,199 Patented duly 12, 1955 2,713,109 ELECTRIC MARKING MACHINES filayton M. Elstad, Minneapolis, Minn. Application March 19, 1953, Serial No. 343,356 4 Claims. (1. 21929) "My present invention relates to improvements in electric marking devices for producing register marks on the edge portions of a stack of material as indicated on 'a' pattern according to which the material for dresses, shirts and other articles has been cut, by burning small shallow notches therein in place of the obsolete practice of cutting notches.

Thepresent invention is in the nature of a refinement or improvement on the electric marking device fully shown, described and broadly claimed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,569,807 issued October 2, 1951, and entitled"Electric Marking Machines.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel guard for the marking element.

A further object is to provide a novel arrangement of the various elements of the electric marking device.

A still further object is to provide a more stable device wherein the preponderance of its weight is at the base of the device.

Another object is to provide, a novel handle and. a r-' rangement thereof whereby the hand gripping the handle is in a more natural position and'the device is more easily manipulated. T

Still another object is to provide a novel housing and support for the electric contacts, switch, marking element, pilot light and Wires therefor.

' These and other objects will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the improved electric marking device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the housing;

'Fig. 3 is a view showing the housing inverted with its bottom member removed and shown in plan;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; a 4

Fig. 5 is a view of the marking device in front elevation; r

Fig. -6 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. l, with the handle removed;

Fig.. 7 is a fragmentary detail view partly in side ele vation and partly -incentral-vertical section;

Figs. 8 and 9 are end and side elcvational views of the transformer, respectively, removed from the device; and

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram.

The numeral 11 indicates a thin substantially rectangular base, the front end portion of which has a wide bevel with a relatively sharp edge 12 that is rounded. This beveled portion of the base 11 facilitates its insertion under a stack of materials to bring the hot marking element of the device into contact with said materials to mark the same.

A transformer 7.3 rests on the base ill, at its center, and is housed by a top member l4 and side members having narrow flanges 1 6 that up the ends of the transformer 13. The top member 14 has side flanges 14 that cap the upper portions of the side members 15. Each side member 15 is centrally outwardly bulged at 17 t0 snugly fit the transformer 13.

Integral with the lower edge or" each side member 15 is a pair of outturned feet 18 that rest on the base 11 and are secured thereto by screws 19. At each of the four corners of the side members is a nut-equipped bolt 20 that extends through aligned holes in the flanges 14', the side members 15 and the transformer 13 and hold the same in assembled relation.

Fixed to the housing top member 14, at its center, is a cylindrical column 21 on the upper end of which is mounted a housing 22 that is rectangular, horizontally elongated and extends longitudinally of the base 11. This housin'g'f22 has a bottom member 23 from which it is removable and said bottom member is fixed to the column 21. The bottom member 23 has side flanges 24 that extend into the housing 22 with a working fit with its sides. Screws 25 attach the housing 22 to the flanges 24 of its bottom'member 23.

Integral with the base 11 and the housing bottom member 23, attheir rear ends, is a long tang 26 and a short tang 27, respectively. These tangs 26 and 27 are upwardly and rearwardly inclined and a handle 28 is interposed between said tangs and secured thereto by a long bolt 29 that extends through aligned holes in the tangs and handle. I

The marking element 30, heretofore referred to, is a long narrow piece of metal that extends edgewise longitudinally of the base 11. This marking element 39, at its lower end portion, is bent edgewise in the plane of said element upwardly and rearwardly and rests in a longitudinal groove 31 in the base ill forwardly of the transformer 13. The extreme lower end portion of the marking element extends into a slot in the front end of a rectangular'block 32 fixed to the base Ill. A screw 33,

having threaded engagement with the block 32, impinges the marking element 3% and holds the same clamped against said block.

The marking element 30 at its upper end portion extends into the housing 22 through a hole 34 in the bottom mern ber 23 and out of engagement with said bottom member. A terminal clamp 35 is secured to the marking element at its upper end portion. A thick piece of insulating material $6 on the bottom member 23 is secured thereto by screws 37 and has a hole 38 through which the marking element 38/ extends. A coiled spring 39 encircling the marking element 30 is compressed between the insulating material 36 and the terminal clamp 35 compensates for compression and expansion of the marking element 34).

A pair of upstanding primary prongs 4i) and 41, are provided, one part of a separable coupling on the housing 22, and the other part of the separable coupling, not shown, is a plug attached to an electric cord. The prongs 40 and 41 extend through aligned holes in the top of the housing 22 and a piece of insulating material 42 on the under side of the top of said housing. These prongs 4t and 41 have cylindrical body portions 44, above thehous-' ing 22, that support said prongs. insulating sleeves 45 on the body portions 44 insulate said prongs from the housing 22. Nuts 46 on the lower end portions of the prongs 40 and 41 impinge the piece of insulating material 42 held by the same in place and secure the prongs 4t and 41 to the housing 22.

Primary wires 47 and 38 lead from the prongs 40 and 41, respectively, to the transformer 13 and which wires between the housing 22 and the transformer 13 are in a single cable 49. A switch 5% is interposed in the wire 47 and has a finger piece 51 that projects outwardly of the housing 22 above the tang 2.7 where the same can be easily manipulated by one or more of the fingers of the 3 hand gripping the handle 28. The switch 50 is connected to the wire 47 for cooperation with either of the contacts 52 or 54.

A resistor 53 is attached to the section of the primary wire 47 having the contact 52 and to the section of the primary wire 43 that leads from the transformer 13 and has a switch contact :54. and out of engagement with either of the switch contacts 52-54. A pair of secondary wires 55 and 56 lead from the transformer 13, the former to the terminal clamp 35 and the latter to a ground 57, Fig. 10. This ground 57, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, is a short nut-equipped bolt 58 that extends through a hole 59 in the tang 26 and around this bolt the wire 56 is wound and clamped between the head of said bolt and the tang 26.

The secondary wires '5 and 56 extend out of the housing 22 through a hole in an insulating material 23 and the housing bottom member 23 and are contained in the cable 49. The primary wires 47 and 48 also extend out of the housing 22 through the hole in the insulating material 23 and the bottom member 23 and into the cable 49. This insulating material 23 is secured by screws 23 to the bottom member 23.

The marking device is provided with a pilot light to indicate when the marking element is hot and ready for use. This pilot light includes an electric lamp 60 secured to the top of the housing 22 on the under side thereof. A red lens 61 is secured to the housing in a light opening 62 over the lamp 60. A wire 63 leads from the terminal clamp to the lamp 60 and a wire 64 leads from said lamp to a ground 65.

In the front end of the housing 22 is a plurailty of air holes 66 for the escape of hot air in said housing.

The marking element 30 extends between a pair of laterally spaced parallel guards 67. These guards are V shape in cross-section with their apexes outermost and the front edge of the marking element 30 is slightly forward of the plane of said apexes. Each guard 67, at each end portion is flattened and bent rearwardly to afford a lower foot 68 and an upper foot 69 each having a longitudinal slot 70 and 71, respectively. The lower feet 68 bear on the base 11 and each is adjustably secured thereto by a screw 72 that extends through the respective slot 70 and has threaded engagement with the base 11. The feet 69 bear against the under side of the bottom member 23 and each is adjustably secured thereto by a screw 73 that extends through the respective slot 71 and has threaded engagement with the bottom member 23.

In slidably positioning the device to mark a stack of material, the guards 67 engage said material as stops and limit the depth to which the material is burned by the marking element 30.

When the switch 50 is on the contact 52, the marking element 34 will be heated to a relatively low degree of temperature due to the passing of the current through the resistor 53 and when the switch is on the contact 54 a high degree of temperature will be had in the marking element 30 to accommodate the device to various different kinds of material.

The purpose of terminating the operative length of the marking element 30 short of its lower end is that said element will not heat evenly to its extreme lower end and The switch 50 is movable into hence the lower end portion of the marking element 30 is bent rearwardly into an inoperative position.

While there are herein disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the structure, process and product of the invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are stated herein, or required by the prior art.

What I claim is:

l. A base, a housing fixed on the base, a transformer in the housing, a column fixed to the top of the housing and projecting thereabove, a second housing mounted on the upper end of the column, an upright electric marking element fixed at its lower end to the base with its upper end portion extending into the second housing and fixed thereto, a pair of terminal prongs fixed to the second housing, and an electric circuit leading from the terminal prongs to the transformer and from the transformer to the marking element.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the mounting of the second housing on the column is at its intermediate portion, said structure further including an upstanding handle fixed at its lower end to the base and attached at its upper end to the second housing at its rear portion and holding said housing from lateral turning movement relative to the column.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the mounting of the second housing on the column is at its intermediate portion, said structure further including a pair of upright guards, one on each side of the marking element and fixed at their lower ends to the base and attached at their upper ends to the second housing at its front end portion, and an upstanding handle fixed at its lower end to the base and attached at its upper end to the second housing at its rear end portion, said guards and handle holding the second housing from lateral turning movement relative to the column.

4. A base, a housing fixed on the base, a transformer in the housing, a column fixed to the top of the housing and projecting thereabove, a second housing having a bottom member to which it is displaceably attached, said bottom member being mounted on the upper end of the column, an upright electric marking element fixed at its lower end to the base with its upper end portion extending into the second housing and fixed to the bottom member, a pair of terminal prongs fixed to the second housing, and an electric circuit including wires in the second housing and leading from the terminal prongs to the transformer and from the transformer to the marking element, said wires in the second housing having sufficient slack to permit the displacement of the second housing relative to its bottom member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,943,100 Walter Jan. 9, 1934 2,272,931 Boisselier Feb. 10, 1942 2,452,738 Elstad Nov. 2, 1948 2,494,824 Martin Jan. 17, 1950 2,525,467 Zelt Oct. 10, 1950 2,569,807 Elstad Oct. 2, 1951 

